
- BGG rank
- BGG #268
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Star Realms: Colony Wars
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015

Rules assistance for Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set is an expansion for Star Realms released in 2015 for 2–6 players and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Robert Dougherty and Darwin Kastle and its main mechanics are Take That, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Includes 15 new cards: 1 Rules Card, 13 Gambits, 1 Base. The gambits in this set function differently than the original Gambits, including entering play hidden. Some actions / bonuses trigger when revealing the Gambit, most have an additional function when scrapping. Gambits are dealt face down to players at the beginning of the game. You can choose a number of Gambit cards each player will get, or you can give some players less Gambit cards as a handicap. The extra (unclaimed) Gambit cards are set aside in a face down pile. Secret Outpost is kept separate and not shuffled in with the Gambit Cards or the Trade Deck. Players keep Gambit cards face down in front of them until they choose to reveal them. Gambit cards never go to the trade deck, your hand or personal deck. They have silver borders to make it easier to keep them separate from your other cards. Players may reveal Gambits at the start of the or during their Main Phase. This pack contains: 1 Rules Card 1 Secret Outpost Base Card 13 Gambit Cards: 1 Acceptable Losses 2 Asteroid Mining 1 Black Market 2 Exploration 1 Hidden Base 2 Rapid Deployment 1 Triumphant Return 1 Two-Pronged Attack 1 Veteran Pilots 1 Wild Gambit
Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The catalogue lists Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Take That, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set are: Robert Dougherty and Darwin Kastle. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set as an expansion for Star Realms. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Star Realms to use it. Check that your edition of Star Realms is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.